Call for New Contributing Editors

by Julia Sizek

The Society for Cultural Anthropology (SCA) is now accepting applications to its Contributing Editors Program, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. The Program provides a path for early-career scholars to get involved in the intellectual and social life of the Society, while gaining access to distinctive opportunities for mentoring and skill-building. Contributing Editors (CEs) come from a wide range of institutions around the world, and in the past they have gone on to successful careers both inside and outside the academy.

Contributing Editors produce and curate original content for the Fieldsights section of the Society’s dynamic website, and they create supplemental posts that extend the reach of articles in the Society’s peer-reviewed journal, Cultural Anthropology. CEs also serve as the public face of the Society by managing its popular Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Yet the role of Contributing Editor is more than a service position: the Program seeks to foster the creation of networks for collaboration that extend beyond participants’ home institutions. CEs are invited to participate in training and professionalization opportunities, including an annual article-writing workshop with the editors of Cultural Anthropology. Experienced CEs can take on leadership roles within the Program, helping to define a vision for one or more channels of the Society’s innovative publishing enterprise.

Application Information

Incoming and current graduate students in social/cultural anthropology and related disciplines can apply to the Program by submitting a CV and a statement of interest (300–500 words) to Program Coordinator Julia Sizek (jsizek@gmail.com) by Monday, August 27.

The statement of interest should focus on one (and only one) of the positions listed below, describing the applicant’s potential contributions and explaining how the position connects to their research and/or professional interests. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the Society’s website so that they can be specific in the ideas they put forward.

Applicants to the Program commit to being dependable, active members of one “home” section by creating at least two posts or projects per year under the guidance of their section editor and the program coordinators. At the end of each academic year, CEs are expected to provide a brief report on their activities. CEs are appointed for an initial two-year term, which can be renewed once for a maximum term of four years.

Open Positions

AnthroPod: The SCA Podcast (Section Editors: Marios Falaris and Katherine Sacco): AnthroPod serves as an audio platform for engaging the field of anthropology, featuring conversations between anthropologists, experiments in sonic ethnography, and recordings of anthropology events. We welcome team members who are new to audio production as well as those with previous audio experience.

Publishing Infrastructure (Convener: Marcel LaFlamme): In February 2019, the Society will launch its redesigned web platform after more than a year of research, design, and development. Managing Editor Marcel LaFlamme will convene a one-year seminar on publishing infrastructure, in which participants will both learn about current topics in scholarly publishing and participate in the hands-on work of migrating content to the new site. Applicants should indicate which other sections of the website they might wish to contribute to after the conclusion of the seminar.

Social Media Team(Section Editors: Jenny Shaw and Hilary Agro): The Social Media Team manages the Society’s digital presence on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. In consultation with the editorial office, the Team posts journal and website content and interacts with the online community on a daily basis. We are looking for witty, creative, and detail-oriented applicants who are at the cutting edge of our discipline and on top of their social media game. Applicants must have active Twitter accounts in order to be considered. Each team member is expected to manage the Society’s accounts for seven consecutive days approximately once every six to eight weeks.

Teaching Tools (Section Editors: Kyle Harp-Rushing and Laura LeVon): Teaching Tools is a resource for instructors, teaching assistants, and students in anthropology and related fields. We focus on ethnographic pedagogy, providing accessible insights into topics ranging from how to teach with hope or address uncertainty to tips on preparing for a teaching demonstration as part of a job interview. We are looking for applicants interested in producing content including syllabi, class activity guides, reading lists, and discussions of pedagogical theory and practice.

Visual and New Media Review (Section Editor: Sander Holsgens): Visual and New Media Review features the work of anthropologists, artists, and other scholars working at the intersection of ethnography, visual and digital media, and other experimental scholarship. We welcome team members who make, design, curate, teach, or review interstitial and nontextual pieces, as much as we are looking for applicants interested in interviewing artists, ethnomusicologists and visual anthropologists. We work in close collaboration with film festivals, distributors, and art galleries.

Please direct any questions about the Program or the application process to Julia Sizek at jsizek@gmail.com. We hope you’ll consider applying!